Apple Inc.

Zeev Roth

Moshe Laifenfeld

Thierry Oggier

Mendy Shoval

Sagy Zino

Niv Gilboa

Oz Barak

Rafael Halfon

Depth sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which emits a first array of beams of light pulses through a window toward a target scene. Objective optics image the target scene onto a second array of sensing elements, which output signals indicative of respective times of incidence of photons. A first calibration, which associates the beams in the first array with respective first locations on the second array onto which the beams reflected from the target scene are imaged, is used in processing the signals in order to measure respective times of flight of the light pulses. A second calibration indicates second locations on which stray radiation is incident on the second array due to reflection of the beams from the window. Upon detecting a change in the second locations relative to the second calibration, the first calibration is corrected so as to compensate for the detected change.

Depth sensor calibration using internal reflections

Depth sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which is configured to emit a first plurality of beams of light pulses toward a target scene. An array of a second plurality of sensing elements is configured to output signals indicative of respective times of incidence of photons on the sensing element, wherein the second plurality exceeds the first plurality. Light collection optics are configured to image the target scene onto the array of sensing elements. Processing and control circuitry is coupled to receive the signals from the array and is configured to search over the sensing elements in order to identify, responsively to the signals, respective regions of the array on which the light pulses reflected from the target scene are incident, and to process the signals from the identified regions in order determine respective times of arrival of the light pulses.

Calibration of depth sensing using a sparse array of pulsed beams

Scanning apparatus includes a transmitter, which is configured to emit a beam comprising pulses of light, and a scanner, which is configured to scan the beam along a scan axis over a specified angular range. A scattering line extends across a path of the scanned beam. A receiver is configured to receive the light scattered from the scattering line and to generate an output indicative of an intensity of the scattered light. A controller is coupled to process the output of the receiver so as to monitor operation of the scanner.

Optical monitoring of scan parameters

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Kadima-Tsoran, Israel

Zeev Roth