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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 17, 2025
Filed:
May. 30, 2023
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Moshe Laifenfeld, Haifa, IL;
Jason R. Holloway, Cupertino, CA (US);
Alexandra H. Chau, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Gregory Guyomarc'h, San Francisco, CA (US);
Connor Henley, Cambridge, MA (US);
Oriel Y. Bergig, Shoham, IL;
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
Imaging apparatus includes a camera, which includes an autofocus mechanism. A range sensor includes a transmitter, which includes multiple emitters configured to transmit optical pulses at different angles toward the scene, and a receiver, to receive and sense respective times of flight of the optical pulses that are reflected from the scene. A photodetector outputs a signal indicative of an intensity of reflections from the scene. Control circuitry drives the emitters in alternation to transmit the optical pulses, estimates a range to a target in the scene responsively to the times of flight sensed by the receiver, detects a difference in the signal output by the photodetector in response to the pulses transmitted by different ones of the emitters, and sets the autofocus mechanism responsively to the estimated range as long as the detected difference is no greater than a predefined threshold difference.