Apple Inc.

Jeffrey Nathan Gleason

Ryan J Dunn

Scott Wallace Miller

Iain A McAllister

Terence N Tam

Linsen Bie

Sunggu Kang

Henry Hung Yang

Richard H Tsai

Aurelien R Hubert

Nikolas T Vitt

Douglas Stuart Brodie

Scott Thomas Smith

Ligang Wang

Zhenbin Ge

Chiajen Lee

Neil MacKinnon

Xingchao C Yuan

Ihtesham H Chowdhury

Tingjun Xu

Miodrag Scepanovic

Tyrone T Chen

Thomas M Jensen

Joyce Gorny

Yonghua Zhao

Wookyung Bae

Hyuk J Choi

Misha Scepanovic

Xi Guo

A method for detecting wind using a microphone and a speaker of an electronic device. The method obtains a microphone signal produced by the microphone. The method obtains a speaker input signal produced by the speaker that is emulating a microphone capturing ambient sound in an environment through the speaker. The method determines a coherence between the microphone signal and the speaker input signal and determines whether the coherence is below a coherence intensity threshold. In response to determining that the coherence is below the coherence intensity threshold, the method determines a presence of wind in the environment.

Speaker emulation of a microphone for wind detection

Various embodiments include a position sensor configuration that compensates for a bias field offset. The position sensor configuration may be used for position sensing of components, such as camera components, that are movable via an actuator (e.g., a voice coil motor actuator). In some embodiments, the actuator may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement that produces an asymmetric magnetic field. The asymmetric magnetic field may include one or more bias field components that are offset relative to one or more axes. In some examples, the position sensor configuration may include one or more magnetic field sensor packages. Individual ones of the magnetic field sensor packages may include a magnetic field sensor and one or more compensation magnets. The compensation magnets may be configured to contribute to one or more compensation magnetic fields that counteract the bias field components such that the compensation magnetic fields compensate for the bias field offset.

Position sensor configuration with bias field offset compensation

An electrically activated lens filter with an electro-optic portion having a radially and circumferentially symmetric electric field gradient is disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the lens filter include an electro-optic portion having one or more conductive plugs arranged around a center region such that an electric field within the electro-optic portion varies from a maximum at an outer rim to a minimum outside of the center region. The lens filter may include a plurality of front electrodes and rear electrodes accessible in an axial direction for electrically activating front and rear transparent conductive layers, respectively.

Camera lens filter

A portable electronic device has a device housing, and an electronic camera module in the device housing. The module has a focusing lens to focus light from a scene, an imaging sensor to receive the focused light, and an electro-optic variable aperture to allow different amounts of the light from the scene to reach the imaging sensor. The electro-optic variable aperture may include a first aperture stack placed on a transparent substrate and a second aperture stack placed on the first aperture stack. The first aperture stack defines a first aperture and the second aperture stack defines a second aperture that is larger than the first aperture. Each aperture stack includes a transparent conductive oxide layer that is common with the adjacent aperture stack. Alternatively the electro-optic variable aperture may include an aperture stack that has two transparent conductive oxide layer layers, where one layer is in the form of concentric annuli.

Adjustable solid film camera aperture

A sequence of digital images are produced using an imaging sensor circuit, wherein each of the digital images was a result of light capture by the imaging sensor circuit during a respective pixel integration phase followed by analog to digital conversion during a respective readout phase. A camera actuator is driven while producing the sequence of images, wherein during a part of every respective readout phase for the sequence of digital images the actuator is driven using a linear drive circuit, and wherein during a part of every respective pixel integration phase the actuator is driven using a switch mode drive circuit. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Method and apparatus for camera actuator driver mode control synchronized with imaging sensor frame

An artificial muscle structure has an electro-active polymer (EAP) layer having a frusto-conical shape and whose tip has an opening formed therein for use as a camera variable aperture. First, second and third electrode segments are formed on a rear face of the EAP layer. The second segment is positioned in a gap between the first and third segments so as to be electrically isolated from the first and third segments. The second segment has an opening formed therein that is aligned with the opening in the EAP layer. A complementary electrode is formed on a front face of the EAP layer. Other embodiments are also described.

Artificial muscle camera lens actuator

Some embodiments include an optics assembly. In some embodiments, the optics assembly includes an optics component. In some embodiments, the optics assembly is configured to move within the apparatus on one or more axes orthogonal to an optical axis of the optics component. In some embodiments, the optics assembly is suspended by a plurality of wires on a base component of the apparatus, each wire of the plurality of wires being substantially parallel to the optical axis of the optics component. Some embodiments include a base assembly component or substrate having an upper surface plane and a lower surface plane. In some embodiments, one or more terminations are disposed around the plurality of wires. In some embodiments, the terminations are located beyond the upper surface plane of the base assembly component.

Wire suspension mounting approach for reduced optical image stabilization package size

Embodiments of the invention include devices, systems and methods for using or manufacturing a camera enclosure or mobile device that includes a thermally conductive camera module, such as having a minimum thermal conductivity of 200 watts per meter Kelvin (W/mK), that enhances heat transfer between a stiffener and cap of the enclosure. This allows heat produced by the camera to be conducted forward, away from the bottom of the stiffener, through the stiffener, and to the top of can so that the bottom of the stiffener does not heat to a high temperature, components of the device or an outer surface of a cover of the device near the bottom of the stiffener. This substantially increases the time before or avoids having the temperature of outer surface reach a high temperature, such as one that will be uncomfortable to the user. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Thermally conductive camera enclosure

A camera includes a pulse transmitter for transmitting at a transmit time through an aperture and along an optical path to a target a coherent electromagnetic ranging pulse at a first wavelength range outside the visible spectrum. In some embodiments, the camera includes a reflected pulse detector for receiving a reflected electromagnetic pulse reflected by the target back along the optical path and through the aperture at a detect time subsequent to the transmit time. In some embodiments, the camera includes a shutter positioned for shielding the pulse detector from at least transmit time to an intermediate time between the transmit time and the detect time. In some embodiments, the shutter includes a layer of semiconductor material placed in the optical path at a point between the target and the detector.

Optically gated detector arrangement

An electro-optic aperture has a stack that includes a front transparent conductor medium, an active electro-chromic medium, and a rear transparent conductor medium. The front and rear transparent conductor mediums are directly connected to each other by a conductive section located within the imaging path. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Electro-optic aperture device

A driver circuit for electro-active polymer (EAP) device has a shared, voltage boost circuit that is coupled to drive a common terminal of first and second EAP devices to a given voltage. A first voltage boost circuit is coupled to drive a respective terminal of the first EAP device to an opposite polarity voltage, while a second voltage boost circuit is coupled to drive a respective terminal of the second EAP device to an opposite polarity voltage. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Driver circuit for electro-active polymer devices

An image sensor assembly includes an image sensor die attached adjacent to a cavity and a lower surface in a preformed package having substantially vertical surfaces extending from the lower surface to an upper surface of the package. The image sensor die provides the light receiving surface for capturing the image. A light absorbing layer is applied to a cover such that the light absorbing layer prevents light from falling on the substantially vertical surfaces of the preformed package without preventing the passage of light that falls on the light receiving surface of the image sensor die. The light absorbing layer includes openings that provide a line-of-sight view of two opposing corners of at least one of the light receiving surface and the image sensor die to facilitate placing the cover over the upper surface of the package in registry with the image sensor die.

Cover for image sensor assembly with light absorbing layer and alignment features

A camera system includes a housing with an aperture and an alignment feature surrounding the aperture to define an optical axis extending through the aperture. A camera module is mounted inside the housing and engages the alignment feature to align the camera module with the optical axis. A lens assembly that may have a moveable element is included in the camera module. A voice coil motor may support the moveable element of the lens assembly. A plurality of magnets are arranged on the camera module adjacent to the alignment feature to retain a detachable lens on the housing and engage the alignment feature to align the detachable lens with the optical axis. The plurality of magnets may be further arranged to minimize interference with the voice coil motor and movement of the moveable element of the lens assembly.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Jeffrey Nathan Gleason