Apple Inc.

Golden Gate Light Optimization LLC

Jason D Mudge

Alexander Shpunt

Mina A Rezk

Moshe Laifenfeld

Cristiano L Niclass

Shingo Mandai

Andrew J Sutton

Ronen Akerman

Tal Kaitz

Richard E Bills

Ron Sokolovsky

The present invention is directed to a light gathering lens that instantaneously corrects for the effect of varying distance between an object and a sensor such as a range finding sensor or LiDAR. Methods of designing these lenses using both traditional lenses and exotic metamaterials and gradient index materials are disclosed, as well as methods of optimizing a design for a given detector type and application. Range-finding systems using these lenses in practice to optically correct for radiometric variation of returned signals received from an object of varying distances are further disclosed. Lenses and range-finding systems suitable for use in a variety of electromagnetic wavelength ranges are disclosed including but not limited to visible, infrared, and millimeter wave regimes.

Range correcting radiometric lens, method of optical design, and range finding system using same

An electro-optical device includes a laser, which is configured to emit toward a scene pulses of optical radiation. An array of 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. A controller is coupled to drive the laser to emit a sequence of pulses of the optical radiation toward each of a plurality of points in the scene and to find respective times of flight for the points responsively to the output signals, while controlling a power of the pulses emitted by the laser by counting a number of the detectors outputting the signals in response to each pulse, and reducing the power of a subsequent pulse in the sequence when the number is greater than a predefined threshold.

Adaptive transmission power control for a LIDAR

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Jason D Mudge