公开(公告)号：US11476372B1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-18

申请号：US17318979

申请日：2021-05-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Moshe Laifenfeld ,  Or Nahir ,  Vyshakh Sanjeev

IPC: H01L31/02 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: A method of building a moving average histogram of photon times of arrival includes, for each time interval in first and second subsets of time intervals, latching a time reference corresponding to a time of receipt of an avalanche timing output signal of a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and advancing a count stored at a memory address corresponding to the latched time reference. The memory address corresponds to a range of time references. The method further includes reading and clearing a first set of counts after the first subset of time intervals; phase-shifting the sequence of time references with respect to a set of memory addresses after the first subset of time intervals; reading and clearing a second set of counts after the second subset of time intervals; and building the moving average histogram using at least the first and second sets of counts.

公开(公告)号：US20250054930A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-13

申请号：US18778986

申请日：2024-07-21

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Pengfei Sun ,  Vyshakh Sanjeev

IPC: H01L25/16 ,  G01S17/34 ,  G02B6/12 ,  G02B6/42 ,  G02B6/43 ,  H01L23/00 ,  H01L27/144 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01L31/0232 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H01S5/026 ,  H01S5/183

Abstract: An optoelectronic device includes a first semiconductor die, having first and second surfaces and including a first array of transceiver elements. Each transceiver element includes an optical transducer, which directs outgoing coherent optical radiation through the first surface toward a target and to receive incoming optical radiation that has been reflected from the target. A single-photon optical detector outputs electrical pulses in response to photons of the incoming optical radiation. A waveguide conveys the incoming optical radiation from the optical transducer to the single-photon optical detector. A second semiconductor die is bonded to the second surface of the first semiconductor die and includes a second array of logic circuits, which are coupled to receive and process the electrical pulses output by the single-photon optical detectors in corresponding ones of the transceiver elements.

公开(公告)号：US12199197B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US17944738

申请日：2022-09-14

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Moshe Laifenfeld ,  Or Nahir ,  Vyshakh Sanjeev

IPC: H01L31/02 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H04N25/705 ,  H04N25/75 ,  H04N25/772

Abstract: A method of building a moving average histogram of photon times of arrival includes, for each time interval in first and second subsets of time intervals, latching a time reference corresponding to a time of receipt of an avalanche timing output signal of a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and advancing a count stored at a memory address corresponding to the latched time reference. The memory address corresponds to a range of time references. The method further includes reading and clearing a first set of counts after the first subset of time intervals; phase-shifting the sequence of time references with respect to a set of memory addresses after the first subset of time intervals; reading and clearing a second set of counts after the second subset of time intervals; and building the moving average histogram using at least the first and second sets of counts.

公开(公告)号：US20250035760A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-30

申请号：US18623080

申请日：2024-04-01

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Vyshakh Sanjeev

IPC: G01S7/4912 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4915 ,  G01S17/34

Abstract: Optical sensing apparatus includes a transmitter, which is configured to transmit outgoing frequency-modulated (FM) coherent optical radiation toward a target scene. A receiver includes an array of single-photon detectors, which are configured to output electrical pulses in response to photons that are incident on the detectors. Optics image the target scene onto the array while diverting a part of the outgoing FM coherent optical radiation to form a local beam, which mixes with incoming optical radiation from the target scene. Processing circuitry is configured to compute counts of the electrical pulses output as a function of time by the single-photon detectors in response to the mixed optical radiation, to extract beat frequencies from the computed counts, and to measure ranges of points in the target scene responsively to the beat frequencies.

公开(公告)号：US20230015431A1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-19

申请号：US17944738

申请日：2022-09-14

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Moshe Laifenfeld ,  Or Nahir ,  Vyshakh Sanjeev

IPC: H01L31/02 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H01L31/107

Abstract: A method of building a moving average histogram of photon times of arrival includes, for each time interval in first and second subsets of time intervals, latching a time reference corresponding to a time of receipt of an avalanche timing output signal of a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and advancing a count stored at a memory address corresponding to the latched time reference. The memory address corresponds to a range of time references. The method further includes reading and clearing a first set of counts after the first subset of time intervals; phase-shifting the sequence of time references with respect to a set of memory addresses after the first subset of time intervals; reading and clearing a second set of counts after the second subset of time intervals; and building the moving average histogram using at least the first and second sets of counts.