Apple Inc.

Primesense Ltd

Zafrir Mor

Alexander Shpunt

Benny Pesach

Raviv Erlich

Dmitri Rais

Evgeny Spektor

Boris Morgenstein

Mordehai Margalit

Ariel Lipson

Moshe Kriman

Roei Remez

Ronen Akerman

Israel Petronius

Itai Afek

Niv Galezer

Jonathan Hauser

Shimon Yalov

Dudu Voschina

Yoed Arieli

Tomer Segev

Jonathan Pokrass

Niv Gilboa

Ronen Einat

Yohai Zmora

Daniel Kravitz

A method for optical sensing includes providing a mirror comprising a central reflective region surrounded by a peripheral glare-suppressing region. A beam of light from a laser light source is directed to reflect from the central region so as to pass through an output optic along an axis toward a target scene. The light returned from the target scene through the output optic is focused onto an optical sensor, via collection optics having a collection aperture surrounding the mirror.

Patterned mirror edge for stray beam and interference mitigation

Optical apparatus includes a beam source, which is configured to generate an optical beam having a pattern imposed thereon. A projection lens is configured to receive and project the optical beam so as to cast the pattern onto a first area in space having a first angular extent. A field multiplier is interposed between the projection lens and the first area and is configured to expand the projected optical beam so as to cast the pattern onto a second area in space having a second angular extent that is at least 50% greater than the first angular extent.

Projectors of structured light

A beam generating device includes a semiconductor substrate, having an optical passband. A first array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is formed on a first face of the semiconductor substrate and are configured to emit respective laser beams through the substrate at a wavelength within the passband. A second array of microlenses is formed on a second face of the semiconductor substrate in respective alignment with the VCSELs so as to transmit the laser beams generated by the VCSELs. The VCSELs are configured to be driven to emit the laser beams in predefined groups in order to change a characteristic of the laser beams.

Integrated optoelectronic module

Optoelectronic apparatus includes a substrate and an array of light-emitting elements formed on a semiconductor die and mounted on the substrate, wherein the light-emitting elements are driven by separate, respective conductors, which are formed on the substrate. A controller drives the light-emitting elements selectively by applying drive signals to the respective conductors in order to create a pattern. One or more optical elements are mounted so as to receive light emitted from the array of light-emitting elements and include at least one diffractive optical element (DOE) configured to project the received light from the first optical element so as to create multiple replicas of the pattern, which fan out over a predefined angular range.

Integrated structured-light projector

A method for depth mapping includes projecting a pattern of optical radiation into a volume of interest containing an object while varying an aspect of the pattern over the volume of interest. The optical radiation reflected from the object responsively to the pattern is sensed, and a depth map of the object is generated based on the sensed optical radiation.

Non-uniform spatial resource allocation for depth mapping

An optoelectronic device includes a semiconductor substrate and a monolithic array of light-emitting elements, including first and second sets of the light-emitting elements arranged on the substrate in respective first and second two-dimensional patterns, which are interleaved on the substrate. First and second conductors are respectively connected to separately drive the first and second sets of the light-emitting elements so that the device selectably emits light in either or both of the first and second patterns.

A method for depth mapping includes providing depth mapping resources, including a radiation source, which projects optical radiation into a volume of interest containing an object, and a sensor, which senses the optical radiation reflected from the object. The volume of interest has a depth that varies with angle relative to the radiation source and the sensor. A depth map of the object is generated using the resources while applying at least one of the resources non-uniformly over the volume of interest, responsively to the varying depth as a function of the angle.

Imaging apparatus includes an illumination assembly, including a plurality of radiation sources and projection optics, which are configured to project radiation from the radiation sources onto different, respective regions of a scene. An imaging assembly includes an image sensor and objective optics configured to form an optical image of the scene on the image sensor, which includes an array of sensor elements arranged in multiple groups, which are triggered by a rolling shutter to capture the radiation from the scene in successive, respective exposure periods from different, respective areas of the scene so as to form an electronic image of the scene. A controller is coupled to actuate the radiation sources sequentially in a pulsed mode so that the illumination assembly illuminates the different, respective areas of the scene in synchronization with the rolling shutter.

Synchronization of projected illumination with activation of sensing elements

Optoelectronic apparatus includes a substrate and an array of light-emitting elements formed on a semiconductor die and mounted on the substrate, wherein the array includes at least first and second sets of the light-emitting elements. A controller is coupled to drive the first set of the light-emitting elements independently from the second set of the light-emitting elements. A first optical element is mounted on the substrate to receive light emitted from the array of light-emitting elements and to direct the received light toward the second optical element. A second optical element projects the light received from the first optical element so as to create a pattern.

An optoelectronic device includes a semiconductor substrate, an array of optical emitters arranged on the substrate in a two-dimensional pattern, a projection lens and a diffractive optical element (DOE). The projection lens is mounted on the semiconductor substrate and is configured to collect and focus light emitted by the optical emitters so as to project optical beams containing a light pattern corresponding to the two-dimensional pattern of the optical emitters on the substrate. The DOE is mounted on the substrate and is configured to produce and project multiple overlapping replicas of the pattern.

Overlapping pattern projector

Optical apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate and one or more radiation sources, mounted on a surface of the substrate and configured to emit optical radiation. A scanning mirror is mounted on the substrate and is configured to scan the reflected optical radiation over a predetermined angular range in a direction that is angled away from the surface.

Integrated photonics module for optical projection

A mobile device includes a camera module, including a lens and an image sensor. An inertial sensor in the mobile device outputs a signal indicative of an orientation of the device. A controller corrects one or more focal properties of the camera module responsively to the orientation indicated by the inertial sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Ein Habsor, Israel

Zafrir Mor