The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jun. 20, 2023

Filed:

Sep. 21, 2020
Applicant:

Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);

Inventors:

Cristiano L. Niclass, San Jose, CA (US);

Scott T. Smith, San Jose, CA (US);

Thierry Oggier, San Jose, CA (US);

Assignee:

APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01C 3/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 7/4863 (2020.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); H01L 31/107 (2006.01); H01L 27/144 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 7/4863 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/42 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); H01L 27/1443 (2013.01); H01L 31/107 (2013.01);
Abstract

An optical sensing device includes a light source, which is configured to emit one or more beams of light pulses at respective angles toward a target scene. An array of sensing elements is configured to output signals in response to incidence of photons on the sensing elements. Light collection optics are configured to image the target scene onto the array. Control circuitry is coupled to actuate the sensing elements only in one or more selected regions of the array, each selected region containing a respective set of the sensing elements in a part of the array onto which the light collection optics image a corresponding area of the target scene that is illuminated by the one of the beams, and to adjust a membership of the respective set responsively to a distance of the corresponding area from the device.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…