Apple Inc.

Texas Instruments Corporation

Susan Ann Thompson

Harish Venkataraman

Cristiano L Niclass

Marius Vicentiu Dina

Moshe Laifenfeld

Anup K Sharma

Yazan Z Alnahhas

Shingo Mandai

Christopher G Zeleznik

Doron Shinbox

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), a second PRI, greater than the first PRI, and a third PRI, greater than the second PRI, from a permitted range of PRIs, drives the radiation source to emit sequences of the pulses at the first PRI, the second PRI, and the third PRI, and processes the signals output by the receiver in response to the first, second, and third 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

An electronic device includes an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, a memory, an optical transmitter controller, and an optical receiver controller. The memory is configured to store an indicator of a next pulse repetition interval (PRI) and a set of parameters associated with operating the optical transmitter in accordance with the next PRI. The optical transmitter controller is configured to retrieve the indicator of the next PRI in response to a trigger signal; retrieve, using the indicator of the next PRI, the set of parameters; and operate the optical transmitter in accordance with the set of parameters. The optical receiver controller is configured to operate the optical receiver; update the indicator of the next PRI stored in the memory; and provide the trigger signal to the optical transmitter controller.

Setting parameters of optical transmitter using receive-side control

An optoelectronic system includes a transmit side and a receive side. The transmit side and the receive side each include an oversampled phase locked loop configured to receive a decimated system clock signal. Each phase-locked loop is configured to output a high frequency sampling clock signal that, in the case of the transmit side, may be leveraged to generate an arbitrary current waveform that, in turn, can be delayed by a delay-locked loop before being applied to a current-controlled light emitting element. The receive side can generate a clock signal at the same high frequency as the transmit side and can be configured to trigger a reset of the transmit side so that the high frequency clock signals between the transmit and receive sides are synchronized.

Tx-Rx synchronization for reflective optoelectronic systems in portable electronic devices

An arbitrary current waveform generator operates by oversampling an input clock signal, and decimating the oversampled clock signal to a decimated clock signal. The oversampled clock signal can be provided as a clock signal to a shift register preloaded with digital values corresponding to samples of a selected waveform to provide as output, and the decimated clock signal can be used to maintain phase synchronization with the input clock signal. Digital output of the shift register is provided to a digital to analog converter, output from which may be used to drive a current-controlled electronic circuit element.

Arbitrary waveform generator for current-controlled elements in portable electronic devices

A circuit includes a peak detector, a diode, a dynamic clamp circuit, and an offset correction circuit. The peak detector generates a voltage on the peak detector output proportional to a lowest voltage on the peak defector input. The anode of the diode is coupled to the peak detector input. The dynamic clamp circuit is coupled to the peak detector input and is configured to clamp a voltage on the peak detector input responsive to a voltage on the diode's anode being greater than the lowest voltage on the peak detector's input. The offset correction circuit is coupled to the peak detector output and is configured to generate an output signal whose amplitude is offset from an amplitude of the peak detector output.

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Half Moon Bay, CA, United States of America

Susan Ann Thompson