Apple Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Avago Technologies General IP (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

James Joseph Dudley

Zhang Jia

David T Amm

Peter Henry Mahowald

Mengshu Huang

Christopher S Erickson

Kenichi Nakajima

Chunji Li

John E Bowers

Mehmet Mutlu

Long Yang

Ye Chen

Mark T Winkler

Richard A Ruh

Ronald T Kaneshiro

Christopher L Coleman

Joel S Armstrong-Muntner

Dubravko I Babic

Wenrui Cai

Anant Rai

Myunghee Lee

Kit M Cham

Kent W Carey

Stefano G Therisod

Katherine Spriggs

William A Tashman

Craig T Cummings

Yu-Chun Chang

An optical proximity sensor includes a first vertical cavity surface-emitting laser configured for self-mixing interferometry to determine distance to and/or velocity of an object. The optical proximity sensor also includes a second vertical cavity surface-emitting laser configured for self-mixing interferometry to determine whether any variation in a fixed distance has occurred. The optical proximity sensor leverages output from the second vertical cavity surface-emitting laser to calibrate output from the second vertical cavity surface-emitting laser to eliminate and/or mitigate environmental effects, such as temperature changes.

Optical interferometry proximity sensor with temperature variation compensation

Aspects of the subject technology relate to particulate matter sensors for electronic devices. A particulate matter sensor may include three lasers, three total-internal-reflection lenses, and three detectors for detecting changes in the operation of the three lasers due to the principles of self-mixing interferometry. The three total-internal-reflection lenses may use internally reflective surfaces to tilt the three beams into three corresponding directions that form an orthogonal basis in the three dimensional space, so that a gas flow speed can be determined while maintaining a small, modular form factor for implementation of the sensor in portable electronic devices.

Particulate matter sensors for portable electronic devices

An electronic device may be provided with light sensors. The electronic device may have an electronic device housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have a transparent layer such as a transparent display cover layer, a thin-film transistor layer, or a color filter layer. An opaque masking layer such as a layer of black ink may be used to cover an inner surface of the transparent layer in an inactive area of the display. Sensor window openings may be formed in the black ink layer. A layer of ink may be formed in each sensor window opening. Each layer of ink may have a diffuse reflectivity that is matched to that of the black ink. A diffuser layer such as a polymer coating layer with light-scattering particles may be coated on the inner surface of the layer of ink in a sensor window opening.

Light sensor windows for electronic devices

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for transitioning media playback between multiple electronic devices are provided. A first electronic subsystem may be configured to playback first media with a first playback value of a first playback characteristic, determine a first relationship value of a first relationship characteristic between the first electronic subsystem and the second electronic subsystem, and transmit a first control instruction that is based on the determined first relationship value and the first playback value. The second electronic subsystem may be configured to receive the transmitted first control instruction and playback second media with a second playback value of the first playback characteristic, where the second playback value may be based on the received first control instruction. This may enable a consistent experience for a user proximate to the first subsystem as the playback of media is transitioned from the first subsystem to the second subsystem.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for transitioning media playback between multiple electronic devices

An electronic device display may have an active area with an array of pixels and an inactive area. A light-transmitting window may be formed in the inactive area. A light-sensing component such as an ambient light sensor may be mounted within the housing in alignment with the window. Opaque masking material may be provided on one or more layers of the display in the inactive area and may have an opening for the window. Backlight structures in the display may generate backlight illumination for pixels in the active area. Stray portions of the backlight illumination may be blocked using a stray light absorption layer on one of the layers of the display such as a layer other than the layer on which the opaque masking material is formed. The stray light absorption layer may have an opening aligned with the window.

Electronic device optical sensing system with stray light suppression

A lens testing system may have a test pattern source that generates a test pattern of light. A lens may have a lens surface that reflects the test pattern of light. A digital camera system may capture an image of the reflected test pattern of light. Computing equipment may perform image processing operations to evaluate the captured image of the reflected test pattern. The test pattern may contain a known pattern of test elements such as a rectangular array of spots or test elements of other configurations. During image processing operations, the computing equipment may analyze the reflected version of the spots or other test elements to measure characteristics of the lens such as radius of curvature, whether the lens contains flat regions, pits, or bumps, lens placement in a support structure, and other lens performance data. The computing equipment may compare the measured lens data to predetermined criteria.

Lens inspection system

A concealing structure to at least partially conceal a sensor, light emitter or other component by at least partially preventing reflection of external light by an underlying structure. In some examples, this function is performed by a two-component masking assembly, the masking assembly including a linear polarizer to cause linear polarization of light which passes from the exterior of the device to an underlying component, and a wave plate to shift the axis of any reflected polarized light. In many cases, a high density optical fluid will further be included within the masking assembly to minimize reflections from the other components of the assembly.

Method and apparatus for concealing sensors and other components of electronic devices

Methods and apparatus for concealing sensors and other components of electronic devices

A fiber optic module and method for making the module uses an electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorbing material, which is positioned within an interior region defined by a housing of the module. The EMI absorbing material has electrical properties to absorb electromagnetic radiation to reduce EMI emissions of the module.

Fiber optic transceiver module with electromagnetic interference absorbing material and method for making the module

For each channel in a parallel channel optical array, a diffractive optical arrangement (DOA) includes an input region that is configured to pass a first portion of an input beam to an output region for data transmissions and to diffract and direct a second portion to a detection region for monitoring. The input region includes the diffractive features of a computer generated hologram (CGH) or a grating for diffracting. Alternatively, the input region is coupled to the CGH or grating. Moreover, the DOA includes at least one reflective region for redirecting the second portion. In one embodiment, the DOA includes a separate active surface for each channel of the array. Alternatively, the DOA has a singular active surface that is positioned to interact with all the channels. Optical power output from the second portion is monitored to generate feedback signals for adjusting the input current to each laser. Additionally, optical power output from sensed temperature is monitored to generate feedback signals.

Integrated parallel channel optical monitoring for parallel optics transmitter

The present invention provides a vertical cavity surface emitting laser having high gain and high reflectivity in the desired wavelength range and good thermal and electrical conductivity. The laser structure is comprised of a first mirror region, a second mirror region, and an active region positioned between the first and second mirror regions. Unlike, prior VCSELs, the active region is fused to both the first mirror region and the second mirror region. This allows the laser designer to optimize laser performance for the desired wavelength range by allowing the choice of different materials for the first mirror region, the second mirror region, and the active region.

Surface emitting laser using two wafer bonded mirrors

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

James Joseph Dudley