公开(公告)号：US11500094B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-15

申请号：US16885316

申请日：2020-05-28

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Thierry Oggier ,  Bernhard Buettgen ,  Cristiano L Niclass ,  Rahmi Hezar ,  Shingo Mandai ,  Darshan Shrestha ,  Gary Chung ,  Moshe Laifenfeld

IPC: G01S17/26 ,  G01S17/86 ,  G01S7/524 ,  G01S7/527 ,  G01S7/53

Abstract: 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) and a second PRI, greater than the first PRI, from a permitted range of PRIs, drives the radiation source to emit a first sequence of the pulses at the first PRI and a second sequence of the pulses at a second PRI, and processes the signals output in response to both the first and second sequences of the pulses in order to compute respective depth coordinates of the points in the target scene.

公开(公告)号：US11476372B1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-18

申请号：US17318979

申请日：2021-05-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Moshe Laifenfeld ,  Or Nahir ,  Vyshakh Sanjeev

IPC: H01L31/02 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: A method of building a moving average histogram of photon times of arrival includes, for each time interval in first and second subsets of time intervals, latching a time reference corresponding to a time of receipt of an avalanche timing output signal of a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and advancing a count stored at a memory address corresponding to the latched time reference. The memory address corresponds to a range of time references. The method further includes reading and clearing a first set of counts after the first subset of time intervals; phase-shifting the sequence of time references with respect to a set of memory addresses after the first subset of time intervals; reading and clearing a second set of counts after the second subset of time intervals; and building the moving average histogram using at least the first and second sets of counts.

公开(公告)号：US11415679B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-16

申请号：US16752653

申请日：2020-01-26

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Anup K. Sharma ,  Arnaud Laflaquière ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Gershon Rosenblum ,  Shingo Mandai

IPC: G01S7/4865 ,  H01L31/02 ,  G01S7/483 ,  G04F10/00 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/18 ,  G01S17/894

Abstract: A sensing device includes a first array of sensing elements, which output a signal indicative of a time of incidence of a single photon on the sensing element. A second array of processing circuits are coupled respectively to the sensing elements and comprise a gating generator, which variably sets a start time of the gating interval for each sensing element within each acquisition period, and a memory, which records the time of incidence of the single photon on each sensing element in each acquisition period. A controller sets, in each of at least some of the acquisition periods, different, respective gating intervals for different ones of the sensing elements.

公开(公告)号：US10801886B2

公开(公告)日：2020-10-13

申请号：US15879365

申请日：2018-01-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Andrew Kenneth John McMahon ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Thierry Oggier ,  Tal Kaitz ,  Moshe Laifenfeld

IPC: G01J1/44 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01J1/42 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/08

Abstract: The sensitivity of one or more single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) in a SPAD detector is modulated over time. The sensitivity of all of the SPADs may be modulated, or the sensitivity of one section of the SPADs can be modulated differently from another section of the SPADs. Various techniques for modulating the sensitivity are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US10656251B1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-19

申请号：US15879350

申请日：2018-01-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass

IPC: G01J1/44 ,  G01J1/42 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/10 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107

Abstract: A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector includes a pixel array comprising multiple pixels and a memory operably connected to the pixel array. Each pixel includes a SPAD. Various techniques for accumulating signals received from the same SPAD over multiple scans and storing the accumulated signals in the memory are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20180209846A1

公开(公告)日：2018-07-26

申请号：US15879365

申请日：2018-01-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Andrew Kenneth John McMahon ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Thierry Oggier ,  Tal Kaitz ,  Moshe Laifenfeld

IPC: G01J1/44 ,  G01J1/42

Abstract: The sensitivity of one or more single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) in a SPAD detector is modulated over time. The sensitivity of all of the SPADs may be modulated, or the sensitivity of one section of the SPADs can be modulated differently from another section of the SPADs. Various techniques for modulating the sensitivity are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20180090536A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-29

申请号：US15713477

申请日：2017-09-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Nobuhiro Karasawa ,  Xiaofeng Fan ,  Arnaud Laflaquiere ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/357 ,  H04N5/376

CPC classification number: H01L27/14665 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  H01L27/14603 ,  H01L27/14609 ,  H01L27/1461 ,  H01L27/14616 ,  H01L27/14623 ,  H01L27/14627 ,  H01L27/14629 ,  H01L27/1463 ,  H01L27/14632 ,  H01L27/14634 ,  H01L27/1464 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H01L31/02027 ,  H01L31/03529 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H04N5/35572 ,  H04N5/3577 ,  H04N5/3698 ,  H04N5/37452 ,  H04N5/3765 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: A back-illuminated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor includes a sensor wafer stacked vertically over a circuit wafer. The sensor wafer includes one or more SPAD regions, with each SPAD region including an anode gradient layer, a cathode region positioned adjacent to a front surface of the SPAD region, and an anode avalanche layer positioned over the cathode region. Each SPAD region is connected to a voltage supply and an output circuit in the circuit wafer through inter-wafer connectors. Deep trench isolation elements are used to provide electrical and optical isolation between SPAD regions.

公开(公告)号：US20220244391A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-04

申请号：US17548541

申请日：2021-12-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L Niclass ,  Nadav Fine ,  Oz Barak ,  Rahmi Hezar

IPC: G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01B11/22

Abstract: Optical sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which directs a series of optical pulses toward a target scene. A first array of single-photon detectors receives optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene and outputs electrical pulses in response to incident photons. A second array of counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by the single-photon detectors over respective periods indicated by respective gating signals applied to the counters. Control logic applies the respective gating signals to the counters, in each of a sequence of image frames, so as to cause different ones of the counters to aggregate and count the electrical pulses output by one or more of the single-photon detectors over different, respective gating intervals relative to each of the optical pulses, and to sum the frame histograms generated with different temporal offsets so as to compute and output a cumulative histogram.

公开(公告)号：US10962628B1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-30

申请号：US15880285

申请日：2018-01-25

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Moshe Laifenfeld ,  Tal Kaitz ,  Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/4861

Abstract: Disclosed are devices and methods for scanning sensing systems having an array of light sensing pixels, such as pixels that use single-photon avalanche diodes. Light pulses are emitted into a field of view (FOV) at starts of a sequence of time intervals, and a weighted tabulation of the times-of-flight of the reflected light pulses within each time interval is used to detect an object in the FOV and determine its distance. Each weight is based on the time-of-flight between the emitted pulse and the received reflected light pulse and on the number of the emitted light pulse in the sequence of emitted light pulses. For near objects the weights emphasize times-of-flight from peripheral time intervals of the sequence; for far objects the weights emphasize central time intervals of the sequence.

公开(公告)号：US10775507B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-15

申请号：US15673428

申请日：2017-08-10

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L Niclass ,  Richard E Bills ,  Moshe Laifenfeld ,  Mina A. Rezk ,  Alexander Shpunt ,  Ron Sokolovsky ,  Tal Kaitz ,  Ronen Akerman ,  Jason D. Mudge ,  Andrew J Sutton

IPC: G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01B11/02 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G02F1/29

Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a laser, which is configured to emit toward a scene pulses of optical radiation. An array of detectors are configured to receive the optical radiation that is reflected from points in the scene and to output signals indicative of respective times of arrival of the received radiation. A controller is coupled to drive the laser to emit a sequence of pulses of the optical radiation toward each of a plurality of points in the scene and to find respective times of flight for the points responsively to the output signals, while controlling a power of the pulses emitted by the laser by counting a number of the detectors outputting the signals in response to each pulse, and reducing the power of a subsequent pulse in the sequence when the number is greater than a predefined threshold.