Apple Inc.

Andrew T Herrington

Scott Thomas Smith

Thierry Oggier

Gregory A Cohoon

Refael Della Pergola

Assaf Avraham

Jawad Nawasra

Yuval Tsur

Boris Morgenstein

Andrew K McMahon

Matthew A Helms

Ali M Khan

Salvador A Valdes

Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods implemented by an electronic device with an imaging sensor that includes both an arrangement of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels at or near the perimeter (e.g., in a surrounding rectangle) of the arrangement. In some implementations, the second pixels, which may be larger in size than the arrangement of first pixels, can be intermittently positioned, for example, with intervening space in between groups of one or more second pixels along the side columns, top rows, or bottom rows of the arrangement. In some implementations, detected movement in a physical environment is determined to correspond to a person approaching the electronic device based on data of the second pixels. In some implementations, detecting the person approaching the electronic device initiates a user verification process at the electronic device.

Sensor-based user detection for electronic devices

An optical apparatus includes a transparent envelope having opposing first and second faces. An electro-optic material is contained within the transparent envelope and includes molecules oriented in respective predefined directions selected so as to form a geometric-phase structure across an area of the transparent envelope. First and second transparent electrodes are disposed respectively across the first and second faces of the transparent envelope. A controller is coupled to apply a voltage between the first and second transparent electrodes that is sufficient to displace the molecules of the electro-optic material from the predefined directions.

Switchable flood and spot illuminator

Optical apparatus includes a projector, which directs a sequence of pulses of radiation toward a scene so as to form one or more lines of the radiation on the scene. A receiver includes an array of single-photon detectors, which output, in response to the radiation that is incident thereon, signals indicative of a time-of-flight of the pulses from the projector to the receiver via the points in the scene, and collection optics, which form an image the scene on the array, including the one or more lines of the radiation, such that each single-photon detector receives the radiation reflected from a corresponding point in the scene. A processor receives the signals output by the sensing elements, and derives depth coordinates of the points in the scene from both the time-of-flight of the pulses and triangulation of the one or more lines in the image.

Depth sensor combining line triangulation and time of flight

An optoelectronic device includes a mount, which is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. A line radiation source is attached to the mount and configured to project a line of radiation onto a scene surrounding the mount as the mount rotates. An imaging assembly is attached to the mount in a location that is offset from the radiation source and includes a temporal contrast sensor including a two-dimensional array of sensing elements, which independently and asynchronously generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance, and objective optics, which are configured to image the scene onto the array.

Combined temporal contrast sensing and line scanning

Optical apparatus includes a scanning line projector, which is configured to scan a line of radiation across a scene. A receiver includes an array of sensing elements, which are configured to output signals in response to the radiation that is incident thereon, and collection optics configured to image the scene onto the array, such that each sensing element receives the radiation reflected from a corresponding point in the scene. A processor is coupled to receive the signals output by the sensing elements, to identify respective times of passage of the scanned line across the points in the scene by comparing a time-dependent waveform of the signals from the corresponding sensing elements to an expected waveform, and to derive depth coordinates of the points in the scene from the respective times of passage.

Line scan depth sensor comparing a time dependent waveform of the signals to an expected waveform

Imaging apparatus includes an image capture device, which includes an optical transmitter, which is configured to emit one or more pulses of infrared radiation toward an area containing a body surface of a living subject, and an optical receiver, which is configured to receive the pulses reflected from the body surface and to generate an output indicative of a modulation of the pulses by tissue below the body surface. A processor is configured to generate, based on the modulation of the pulses, an image of blood vessels located beneath the body surface within the area.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Andrew T Herrington