Apple Inc.

Bernhard Buettgen

Xiaofeng Fan

Gennadiy A Agranov

Moshe Laifenfeld

Xiangli Li

Emanuele Mandelli

Oray Orkun Cellek

Cristiano L Niclass

Shingo Mandai

Thierry Oggier

Gershon Rosenblum

Rahmi Hezar

Brian S Medower

Zachary Michael Beiley

Gary Chung

Andras G Pattantyus-abraham

Darshan Shrestha

Yuchuan Shao

A sensor stack is described. The sensor stack includes first and second electromagnetic radiation sensors. The first electromagnetic radiation sensor has a high quantum efficiency for converting a first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into a first set of electrical signals. The second electromagnetic radiation sensor is positioned in a field of view of the first electromagnetic radiation sensor and has a high quantum efficiency for converting a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into a second set of electrical signals and a low quantum efficiency for converting the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into the second set of electrical signals. The first range of wavelengths does not overlap the second range of wavelengths, and the second electromagnetic radiation sensor is at least partially transmissive to the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths.

Stacked electromagnetic radiation sensors for visible image sensing and infrared depth sensing, or for visible image sensing and infrared image sensing

Apparatus for optical sensing includes an illumination assembly, which is configured to direct a first array of beams of optical radiation toward different, respective areas in a target scene while modulating the beams with respective carrier waves having a common carrier frequency and different respective phase angles, which vary across the first array in a predefined spatial pattern. A detection assembly includes a second array of sensing elements, which are configured to output respective signals in response to the optical radiation that is incident on the sensing elements during one or more detection intervals, which are synchronized with the carrier frequency, and objective optics, which are configured to form an image of the target scene on the second array. Processing circuitry processes the signals output by the sensing elements in order to generate a depth map of the target scene.

Depth mapping using spatial multiplexing of illumination phase

Sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which emits pulses of optical radiation toward multiple points in a target scene. A receiver receives the optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene and outputs signals that are indicative of respective times of flight of the pulses to and from the points in the target scene. Processing and control circuitry selects a first pulse repetition interval (PRI) and a second PRI, greater than the first PRI, from a permitted range of PRIs, drives the radiation source to emit a first sequence of the pulses at the first PRI and a second sequence of the pulses at a second PRI, and processes the signals output in response to both the first and second sequences of the pulses in order to compute respective depth coordinates of the points in the target scene.

Selection of pulse repetition intervals for sensing time of flight

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Bernhard Buettgen